Government Shutdown

 

Today, October 1st, the U.S. government is shut down because it was not carrying out the functions of a proper government. The reason for the shutdown is because the government was not passing spending bills that fund the government. The House of Republicans suggested that Obamacare should have a reduced fund from the government but the Democrats want the exact opposite. Also, the democrats say that “the law will expand access to health care and help rein in the rising costs of coverage. Obamacare prevents those with pre-existing medical conditions from being denied health insurance.”

This made me think that the Democrats have better thoughts about this shutdown. Also, I don’t really understand why the government is shut down because if it wasn’t functioning why it’s supposed to then they should have fixed the issues earlier. Additionally, I think this shutdown is a problem because people have lost their jobs and some aren’t getting paid. However, Obamacare is well needed to help people that are in need of  health insurance.

~Giuliana

Government Shutdown Killing People?

The government shutdown might have seemed like a silly fight between the Republican and Democratic parties, but could possibly be something deadly. Other than parks and many other national parks being shut down, clinical trials are also being put on hold, which is very bad news for the thousands of sick patients holding on to their last strand of hope. Many cancer patients and other sick patients with various diseases hope to find refuge in new and hopefully successful drugs that have been tested and found to work towards their own type of health problem. These drugs are still in phases where they are being tested but have been found successful, and to these people who mostly have little to no treatment options, they can only pray that this will be the cure, and it quite possibly could. Weekly, hundreds of patients are admitted into these facilities run by the National Institute of Health. According to NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, over one-third of the patients accepted in their clinic are cancer patients, and about 15% being children. About 15,000 employees of the NIH(National Institute of Health) are on a temporary leave as well. Numerous studies would have began this week, but due to this ridiculous shutdown, people must wait before once again receiving government funding to run these life-saving programs.

I believe that this is certainly absurd, and can not imagine how the families of these people are feeling. The government should stop this nonsense and agree with the other party about these things before things get worse, because ignorance should not have to be payed with these innocent lives. Furious cannot even begin to describe how much hate must go towards the government at this crucial time. Would you like to know that what you are doing could be taking lives away? Especially as one of the main concerns being talked about during the shutdown is funding for Obamacare, which is directed towards giving everyone the benefits of healthcare. Although some of these treatments could possibly be a failure, most of the people willing to apply for these clinical trials don’t have much of a choice in front of them. Most have already gone through countless doses of chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and much more pain. It would be very possible that they realistically had months, even days to live. Now with the government shutting down, they are being denied treatments when they most need it, for people that are battling cancer that have no time to spare and early treatment can save millions of lives. These days with the government shutdown, people in need of miracle may just not be able to get one, and who is to blame?

~Annie

Government Shutdown

On October 1st,  the government officially went into shutdown.  How did this happen, you might be asking. Well, one of Congresses key duties is to help fund the government by passing spending bills.  If the bill doesn’t pass, most services of the government can’t run, such as funding agencies and processing passport requests.  The reason that this bill didn’t pass, causing the government to go into shutdown, was because the Republicans in the house are determined stop funding Obamacare, a law that requires all Americans to have health insurance.  In contrast, the Democrats are just as stubborn to keep the program running.  Some of the arguments the Republicans are giving, are that this will hurt employers.  Some also argue that the medical device tax that is included in the law for Obamacare, “basically sending jobs overseas.”  Some counterattacks that the Democrats are giving are that since Obamacare prevents people who have pre existing health issues from being denied health care, those who do have health care won’t have to indirectly pay for those who are uninsured.

Personally, I don’t really have an opinion on the matter of Obamacare, mostly because I don’t buy insurance or pay taxes.  I do know, however, that this decision will impact many others. Such as people who don’t want to pay extra taxes, and people who can’t afford health insurance.  I think that it was slightly unnecessary for the government to go into shutdown over this matter, instead of them coming to a consensus.  Soon, hopefully, The House will come to an agreement and the government will be restored.

~ Maryam